Marauding cat

[Barmaid]

Well I think we've reached the end of the line. We fitted a new flap - it took a couple of weeks for the bruiser next door to break it.

We've replaced the hall carpet with lino because he had ruined it by spraying.

We barricade our cats in at night, but we get up in the morning and the barricade is destroyed and ours are stressed.

One of the cats has taken to living on the microwave and will only come down if I am there. One has taken to crapping in our bathroom cos she is so stressed. One of our boy cats will only go in and out through the kitchen window.

To top it all, my BF is decorating, when he went to prepare the doors, he realised they were damp and absolutely stank of cat pee (we had been wondering how our dining room stinks of cat pee when we keep the cats out of there). Now we have to replace two doors. None of our cats spray (well that we know of) and I have caught the marauder peeing up the front door before. I am convinced it is him.

The neighbours couldn't give a flying fluff. I was in tears this morning at the state of one of my cats who is just so worked up (and she has a dodgy heart so she could do with being kept calm).

The choice it seems now is that we rehome our own cats and don't have a flap because whatever we do the Marauder from next door always gets round it and just upsets ours.

Any suggestions? I hate seeing ours so unhappy. And I bloody well hate the stink of tom cats piddle.

[LoftyLottie]

Good Luck!!

[LoftyLottie]

Duck Tape!! Iron bars would be more successful!!

[annie0000]

My cat just uses the door and is happy with that - mind you she tends not to go in and out a lot. She will mostly go out all night and stay in all day (yes - even in the current -10 nights!) or if it has been a really bad night, she will stay in at night but go out all day. She just accepts the fact that when she is out, it willl be a while before she gets back in.
We did have an incident last week when her arch enemy across the street was up on its owners upstairs window looking to get in and couldn't. Our Lucy decided to show off and ran dounstairs to get out, then promtly got herself up onto our windowsill upstairs - she knew I was in that room - and asked to come in - meanwhile glaring at the cat over the road - it was af she was saying, "look I can get in whenever I want" - little show off.

I would definitely seal up the flap for a while - the other cat might lose interest.

I read somewhere that cats terratory is time based as much as area based and tha dominant cats get the best time slots. You may just need to vary their routine to avoid the bully. Prize timeslots are dusk and dawn.

[Barmaid]

lol Annie - they are little sods aren't they? BF has just agreed to taping the flap up and see how we get on. If we can re establish our cats as the "owners" of this particular territory the bruiser may lose interest.

I know what you mean about iron bars Lofty - the BF did say he didn't think duck tape would work but has agreed to give it a go. Given that he has just got on with the decorating he'll be fed up with smelling cat pee after a couple of hours!!!

[wiggal]

Hey barmiad,

I know what you are going through :-( See my thread a few down!
One of our boys has got so bad he sprays me, in the face! I have no idea what has freaked them out though, and the only resolution we can see is that Smokie Jo is going to live on a farm with my boss next week!

TBH, I really do think it is a dominance thing in our house mainly as Smokie is always scrapping with his sister Sammy, and if she goes near anything, he sprays it then Spinks sprays it after him!

[Barmaid]

Oh Wiggal, I just read your thread. I am so sorry you are having to let Smokie go but spraying you in the face sounds like an over dominance thing. When my boy cat was being a bit of a bully I used some "Anti dominance" drops which I got from a health food shop. Just a couple in his food every day and he seemed to calm down. I also use a Feliway diffuser (its a bit like kitty cannabis) and that seems to work.

I got really upset when the BF said that ours were so unhappy we may have to consider that. I will win this battle though - I doubt anyone would take on my old lady with all her problems and constant medication. Anyway, I've had her for nearly 13 years and she has been with me through hell, I am more likely to let the BF go before I do her!!!!!

Hey if you want another cat there's one next door...........

[wiggal]

Aww thanks Barmaid, atleast I will know where he is going and can always find out how he is doing, and he will have the place to himself so no more competing with his sister!
Sammy knows she is boss, she doesnt spray or anything but is very much in charge of the pack, and the dogs too!
It always used to be her giving Smokie a smack and he ran away, but recently, she smacks him and he wallops her back and then all hell breaks lose! Which is one of the reasons I think it is a dominance thing rather then smething has upset them all.

Just hope after he goes, Spinks stops as well because she is spraying too, just not on me so it isnt quite as bad, otherwise she will have to go too, :-(

[Nosha123]

Oh Barmaid I am so sorry you are having this nightmare... please dont rehome your cats though! I know you must be at the end of your tether - but Lofty's advice about binning the cat flap could be worth a try!!!
I had the same problem with my two boys.. they were being terrorised by a really nasty tom cat - un-neutered.. no idea where it was from - no collar. He attached Saffy in his own kitchen and he was so terrified he wet himself... At that point.. I borrowed a trap.. caught him and drove him an hour to Battersea Dogs Home for re-homing... I justified it as the nasty Tom was seen out in awful weather and so I thought he was a stray.. plue he wasnt collared.. and always ate ALL of their food in ALL the bowls! Even mine didnt eat it all! Once he was gone - they calmed down...
I really do sympathise!!!

[Nosha123]

I have to say.. I dont think duck tape will be strong enough though.. do you have any stiff cardboard you can 'board' it up with??? Or wood???
To stop the little b*****d getting in....
Your poor little old lady of 13 deserves to be able to walk round her own house in peace and quiet!!!

[Barmaid]

Thanks Nosha.

Yes the BF is going to get a bit of plywood and nail it over the flap.

And my poor old lady has just weed in the kitchen because I think he has been using her tray!

You'd think that ASBO would see him off but he might be a little sod he is also a big wuss.

[Nosha123]

aaah Barmaid.. poor little lady.. you might need to get a new tray.. as his smell will be in the plastic!!! Their noses can smell much more than we can!
I would scrub the floors too to rid of any paw print smells.. Might seem obsessive but she might calm down a bit easier! Dont use bleach though.. just washing up liq....
My Harvey Pickle Pants still gets the occasional kicking from a neighbours cat a distance away... the really sad thing is - the nasty cat looks EXACTLY like his brother who we lost 18mths ago.. and I was so upset when it attacked him as I thought maybe he thought for a minute his brother had come back to life!!!!! boo hoo!!!!
I can recommend the trapping option though for your nasty Tom neighbour! Only if they wont be suspicious!!!

[annie0000]

I think Nosha has the right idea here, trap the marauder and take him to a rehoming centre as a stray - pick one miles away and the chances of him being rehomed near you must be small. You'd maybe be doing him a favour.